Brain plasticity, what does it mean? Usually we associate brain plasticity with the ability to readily learn new tasks and recover from potential damage, however recent research regarding concussions show that not only do periods of heightened plasticity not protect subjects from mechanical brain trauma but it makes them more vulnerable. Indeed the most common period for us to experience brain trauma is when our brains are not fully developed, specifically our frontal lobes, which continue to develop throughout the age of 25. The reason behind the long-term brain trauma vulnerability, is that the myelination, a cholesterol-like protective tissue, of our frontal lobes has not entirely taken place. So unlike brain trauma experienced by their elders, young adults exhibit a susceptibility to slower recovery and worse overall long-term cognitive outcomes in the wake of brain trauma such as a concussion.
This brings to light a serious question regarding the ethics of athletic performance throughout early adulthood especially regarding whether or not a previously concussed participant are ready to reenter the athletic field. Looking back on my high school athletic experiences what was most obvious was the potentially self-destructive notion of more pain, more gain. Keeping this in mind, and considering the glory of athletic success throughout those years, it was blatantly obvious that people, who have suffered from a concussion, were eager to “recover” so they could quickly return to the field and support their team.
Our neurochemistry class talked extensively about the potential long-term damage an athlete could subject themselves to because of premature reentry. The primary reason that premature reentry is so dangerous for concussed subjects is that the brain’s natural defense system against trauma has been drastically weakened. This defense system incorporates your brain’s ability to repair mildly damaged neurons and to re-equilibrate the chemical levels of those neurons. If a second traumatic event occurs while the brain is fervently working to repair the first concussion, the brain goes into a significant state of decreased repair, which often leads to irreparable damage.
Furthermore, in order to properly recover from a concussion it is advisable for the subject to take a break from the functions of a normal day. In fact concussion victims that immediately engage in normal tasks such as schoolwork, normal motor function, and coordinated motor function show a marked decrease in cognitive recovery rate. If such therapy required for a concussion victim to recover fully, are we ultimately jeopardizing students’ academic and cognitive future by allowing them to participate in concussion related athletics and return to the field without knowing indefinitely if they have fully recovered? While concussion related stories about professional athletes and permanent damage increases to become more prevalent in the media I believe there will be a movement toward improving concussion recovery diagnostics and much controversy surrounding the potential dangers surrounding school athletics.
More Pain More Gain or More Pain Less Brain?
